Anyone remember Bogshed? Not one of Peel’s finest, I fear.
I saw them live 2 years ago. They’re still going.
ETA: doing the Len Ganly stance
Well, shut my mouth and call me Hannah Gordon. I guess there’s more going on in the UK than us West Coast mods realize.
To all of you who think of HMHB as an 80s phenomenon, I’d suggest checking out their more recent stuff, too. I think it’s actually better, though it seems like it got less traction there than songs like “Trumpton Riots” and “Dickie Davies Eyes.” Here’s one from their 2005 album* CSI: Ambleside.*
I think there’s something to this. As an Anglophile who loves obscure in-jokes and prides himself on his putatively catholic erudition (IOW, a pedantic wanker), I find the references to be sort of bracing, like a hard-but-well-written crossword puzzle. (I’ve been known to listen with Wikipedia at the ready.)
That said, I can see why their label wouldn’t want to invest a lot of time and energy in US distribution to reach a fan base consisting of me and a couple dozen other American fans of outdated UK pop-culture arcana.
They also have basically no merchandising and they’ve never played America, neither of which helps build a name.
Still, all this makes me wonder what other great UK bands I’m missing out on. Any suggestions? I also like Ian Dury, Kasabian, and the Sundays, if that helps.
On the subject of Half Man Half Biscuit, I always thought that basically they were a band comprised of people that make up terrace football chants - and I say that as a compliment. The lyrics are exceptional, in many cases very witty, and at their best they’re combined with something you can sing along to. The example that springs to mind for me is “4 Skinny Indie Kids” - which is a pretty good put down of Britpop wannabes that were everywhere in Camden in the mid 90s. Terrace football chants are all about the withering put down - which is where I draw the parallel.
And “Vatican Broadside”'s tune is precisely the type of thing that football fans have used for many years to wind up the opposition (for “who the fucking hell are Slipknot?” read "who the fucking hell is/are Mourinho/Man U, etc)
I’d try Super Furry Animals, if you haven’t already. They’re a bunch of Welsh guys whose lyrics tend to refer to things/stories or what have you (one of their earliest songs refers to Frankie Fontaine - the first person in the UK to claim he had been abducted by aliens) and they like throwing in puns and various other pieces of whimsy where appropriate. They are also musically quite varied - there’s a bloke in the band who basically plays the computer - and have made albums that are by turns electronic, folky, poppy and, in weird departure - seemingly inspired by mid 70s ballads.
As a brief introduction, I’d seek out one track “Receptacle for the Respectable” - a song in three parts, it basically covers all of the things they like to do in one song (upbeat guitar pop in part one, slowed down mid section complete with Paul McCartney guesting by chewing some carrots - I’m not joking - and a third “electronic metal wig out” section). If you like it, you’ll probably like them.
And I’d leave the album Mwng until you’ve got used to them a bit. It’s a good album but it is all in Welsh.
They really should have sold Joy Division Oven Gloves.
A commemorative noose with the Closer album wouldn’t have gone amiss.
http://www.toffs.com/icat/duklaprague/
You can get a Dukla Prague away kit here. Sadly the song itself is about Subbuteo rather than the kit itself - but still.
Try and track down One of our Girls (Has Gone Missing) by A.C. Marias
The title track is here. One of my favourite songs (and videos), but not all that well known.
How about Shack, another scouse outfit based around the Head brothers who founded The Pale Fountains?
Try a bit of Realization.
Class tune.
Famous is maybe pushing it too far, they’re widely known and it’s not like you have to hunt far and wide to buy their alblums (even neglecting how easy it is to buy almost anything on the internet.
That is impressive, their cultral references can be very obscure, even as someone who was boran and brought up in the UK, a lot of the references zip over my head.
Based mostly on your liking Kasabian
British:
Bloc Party
Ian Brown
Unkle
The Rakes
Ladytron
Klaxons
Kaiser Chiefs
The Kills
Scottish:
Primal Scream
Biffy Clyro
Idlewild
Travis
The Cinematics
Also love *All I Want For Christmas Is A Ducla Prague Away Kit * - the local Alternative DJ (Yes, the only one in the country!) in the 80s had a thing for that song.
Another band from the school of witty Northern indie and (occasional) conversational titles: The Wedding Present (Everybody Thinks He Looks Daft, Why Are You Being So Reasonable Now, I’m From Further North Than You, The Thing I Like Best About Him Is His Girlfriend)
Totally second The Wedding Present. Two essential albums: George Best and Bizarro.
^^^ Christ, can’t believe that was 23 years ago! Song, not video.
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Here’s one from their 2005 album* CSI: Ambleside.*
Oh. My. God. Missed this earlier. That is fantastic! That could be a Fall track. (Just checking - you know The Fall?) I’m going to have to check out the later albums.
I imagine you may be already familiar with them but if not, I really recommend The Teardrop Explodes. Just my opinion but their most famous song ‘Reward’ is one of their weaker songs so it’s worth pressing on if this happens to be all you know them from.
Again, I suspect if you know Ian Dury, you also already know the work of Squeeze. But if not, run don’t walk to check out their work 
I’d also recommend The Housemartins (and later The Beautiful South) if you like bands that have lyrics that are parochial. I’d also recommend the Scottish band Orange Juice. Again, their one hit single really does not do them justice.
I lovethis (sorta NSFW) song of theirs.
There’s a nicely judged amount of venom in Paintball’s Coming Home, but you can just tell that Nigel really wants to kill the cunts with flamethrowers.
Lord Hereford’s Knob. NSFW, due to Nudity, Swearing and members of Half Man Half Biscuit wearing shorts.
Honestly, a band I had lost track off, but they are still fucking awesome.
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I know, right? It’s actually musically impressive, not just funny. And I love The Fall.
I could have written that post.